Bag fastener



Aug. 30, 1932. w. c. HIERING BAG FASTENER Filed Sept. 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Aug-30, 1932. w. c. HIERING BAG FASTENER Filed Sept. 17, 1951 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v WILLIAM C. HIERING, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO J. E. MERGOTT COlVL PANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BAG FASTENER Application filed September 17, 1931. Serial No. 563,303.

This invention relates to ladies handbags and more particularly to fastening devices for such bags. I

It isvery desirable that hand bags be easily opened and closed; but in order to prevent surreptitious opening of bags by pickpockets and others, it is necessary to provide fastening devices which may not be manipulated by unauthorized persons L 3 without attracting the attention of the person carrying the bag. However, such fastening devices were objectionable from a manufacturing standpoint in that they were somewhat complicated and expensive. Also, f such fastening devices could not be universally applied to any type of hand bags, but generally were confined to bags having a specific structure;

It is therefore, an object of this invention to provide a fastening device which is simple in structure, effective in operation, and easily manipulated. Y

' A further object is the provision of a fastening device which maybe readily applied to many types of handbags without material alteration.

These and other advantageous objects, which will later appear, are accomplished by the simple and practical construction and arso rangement of parts hereinafter described and exhibited in the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a handbag embodying the invention, 3

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an element of the fastening device,

- Figure 3 is a perspective view of another element of the fastening device,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an element employed to cause disengagement of the elements shown in Figures 2, 3, Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the elements in the process of being disengaged, Figure 6 is a perspective view of a handbag embodying another form of the invention,

Figures 7, 8, 9 are perspective views of elements employed in the fastening device, and Figure 10 is a perspective view showing the elements of the fastening device in the process of being disengaged.

has a portion cut-away so that the stem 33 Referring to the drawings, in Figures 1 to 5 is shown a form of the invention,'including a pair of bag frame members 20, 21 of a well known type. A fastening element 23, arcuate in cross-section, extends longitudinally of the main body portion of member 20, and is attached thereto by'means of a pair of projections 24 which pass through openings in the upper surface of the frame member, the projections 24 being attached to torsional springs m 25, each of which has an upturned portion 26 abutting the inner walls of the frame member. The element 23 is properly positioned on the frame member by the projections 24 and 24. The element 23 is provided at its free edge with a bead 27 extending the length of the element. Y

Mounted on member 21 is a rectangular casing 28 having upper wall partially removed to provide a slot 29 extending the length of the casing and arranged to receive the bead 27. The casing is attached to the frame member by means of projections 30 which pass through openings in the frame member 21. I The projections 30 are attached to torsional springs 31 similar to the springs 25 above described.

Slidably mounted in the casing 28 is a small channel member 32 having pivotally connected thereto a stem 33, which is attached to a' finger piece 34, by means of which the member 32 may be slid in the casing.

The sliding movement of the member 32 is limited by the end walls 35 each of which can take a position in line with the casing as shown in Figure 1.

' In operation, the frame members are :brought together to cause the bead 27 to enter slot 29, the bead snapping in the slot due to the action of the torsional springs 25 and 31 as the bead rides over the upper surface of the casing into the slot.

To disengage the fastening elements, the stem 33 is brought to an upright position and the member 32 is slid in the casing, the stem camming the bead out of the slot as the member 32 moves in the casing, as shown in Fig ure 5.

In Figures 6 to 10 is shown another form 1 '60 ,.,..,One of the elements 7 .o'r9 may be rigidly substantially arcuatein cross-section, the free longitudinal edge of the element being bent back on itself to provide a bead or enlargement 8 extending the length of the element 7.-

Attached to frame member 6 is a cooperating fastening element 9 consisting of a tube extending the lengthof the mainbody portion of member 6, the tube having a longitudinal slot 10, and end'walls 11. Slidably mountedin thertube is a ball 12,-having'connected thereto a stem 13' which projects through the slot 10, the stem having attached thereto a finger piece 14, by means of which the stem may be manipulated to slide the ball in the tube, the longitudinal movements of the :ball being limited by the end walls 11, which have cut-out portions 15 to enable the stem 13 to be swung beyond the end walls to a position as shown in Figure 6. a r

In operation, to close the device, the frame members 5, 6 are moved together to cause the bead 8 to snap into the slot 10 of element 9, the snapping action resulting from resiliency due to the distorting ofthe frame'member v as the bead passes overthe element 9 into the slot 10, and the longitudinal extremities of the bead 27 maybe roundedas shown in Fig; 2, or may be provided with short pins 8, centrally positioned'in and protruding slightly from the ends thereof,"as showninFigf'l', to facilitate themovement of the stem 13 to an upright position andinto -carnmi ng engagement with the bead. The casing 28 may be provided with a' short upstanding wall/28' at the outer edge of the slot 29, (see Fig. 3) with which the bead 27 may abut when the bead is received in theislot 29 and the tube 9 mayhave asiimilarwall 39, to prevent the lifting'of the beadfrom the slot and disengagement of theframe'me'mbers except by the use of the camming stem 33 or '13 of the fastening element and to further facilitate the movement ofthe stem into camming engagement with the bead. i p V I The fastener elements 7 and 9 may be attached to the frame members5 and 6 by soldering or bymeans of lugs 77 andc9 preferably integral with the fastener elements 7 and 9, respectively, the lugs being upset against the inside of the frame 1nembers,or

anyother suitable means, may be used-for this purpose. v

' secured to one of the frame members, as previou sly 1 described, while the other element may be resiliently secured to the other frame member by resilient means such as that shown for the element 23 members, 1 ,7 I a v ,4. A fasten ng device, compr smgja memthe members.

fastening device which may be used in a num- YVhile the device has been ber of, situations. described specifically in connection with a ladys handbag, it is obvious that it may be and casing 28 in Figs. 1, 7'

effectively used on traveling bags, brief cases,

and the like, in fact, in practically'any similar-situation where it is necessary to fasten two members together in more than one point e in the same straight line.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictiveor limitative ofthe invention, of which obviously. anembodiment may be constructed including many modifications without departing from the general scope herein indicated claims. Y a m 4 Having thusdescribed myinvention, what I claim-as new, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is a 1. A fastening device, comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal slot, a secand denoted in the appended 0nd memberha'ving a longitudinal bead ar-' ranged to enter the slot'toholdthe members together, ,and a ball slidably mounted in the tubular member, said ball having a stempros jecting through the slot, said stem forcing the bead out of the slot to disengage the mem bers when the ball is slid in the tubular member'.

A fastening deyicefcomprising a memher having along'itu dinal slot, a second mem} her having a longitudinal beadarranged to enter the slot to hold'the'memberstogether, a slidable element mounted on the first memher, said element; having'a stem projecting through the slot, said stem forcing the bead out of the slot to disengage the first and second memberswhen the" element is slid along the first member, and means to prevent disengagement of the first ableelement,

'3. A fastening member and r the slidhaving a bead arranged'to enter the slot to hold the memberstogether, and'm eans slid ably mounted in the tubular member includ force the bead out of the slot to disengage the her having a slot, a spring pressed second to force'the bead out-of the slot to disengage device, comprising a tubu lar member having aslot, a-second member ing, a stem projecting through the slot, "toj 5. In combination witha pair ofhingedly connected bag. frame members,a member,

iently mounted on the other frame member, said second member having a bead arranged to enter the slot, and an element slidably mounted on the first member, said element having a stem projecting through the slot to force bead out of the slot as the element is slid along the first member.

6. A fastening device, comprising a member having a slot, a second member having a bead arranged to enter the slot, resilient means to cause the bead to snap into and remain in the slot, and means associated With the first member to force the bead out of the slot to disengage the members.

7. A fastening device comprising a tubular member having a longitudinal slot, a sec ond member having a longitudinal bead arranged to enter the slot to hold themembers together, resilient means to cause the bead to snap into and remain in the slot, and means for camming the bead out of the slot to disengage said members.

8. A fastening device comprising a member having a slot and having an upstanding Wall, a second member having a bead arranged to enter the slot to hold the members together and adapted to abut said Wall when the bead is in the slot, and means slidably mounted in the first member to force the head out of the slot to disengage the members.

9. A fastening device comprising a member having a longitudinal slot, a second member having a bead arranged to enter the slot to hold the members together and a slidable element mounted in the first member and having a stem projecting through the slot to force the bead out of the slot to disengage the members, the longitudinal ends of said bead and of said slotted member being designed to facilitate the movement of the stem.

This specification signed this 15th day of September, 1931.

WILLIAM C. HIERING. 

